Rattled Pakistan Restricts More Airspace As India Prepares For Massive Tri-Services Exercise Near Sir Creek

Pakistan has issued multiple Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) restricting large areas of its airspace after India announced a major Tri-Services military exercise along its western border.

The timing and scale of Pakistan’s airspace closures, covering routes across central and southern Pakistan and now much of its territory, suggest a heightened state of alert as India prepares for the coordinated military drill near the disputed Sir Creek region.

According to publicly available flight advisories, Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority has declared several key air corridors unavailable between October 28 and 29, affecting both domestic and international traffic.

The restricted zones stretch from the Arabian Sea through Sindh and Punjab, mirroring the areas opposite India’s Gujarat and Rajasthan, where India plans to stage its upcoming exercise.

Earlier this week, India notified an extensive airspace reservation from October 30 to November 10 for a Tri-Services Exercise involving the Army, Navy and Air Force. The exercise zone lies near the Rann of Kutch and extends into the northern Arabian Sea, a sensitive region bordering Pakistan’s Sindh province.

The military preparations follow a sharp warning by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during Dussehra celebrations at a military base near Bhuj.

Singh cautioned Pakistan against any aggression in the Sir Creek area and said India’s response would be resounding enough to change history and geography. He reminded Islamabad that one route to Karachi passes through the creek, underscoring India’s readiness to counter any provocation.

Sir Creek, a 96-kilometre tidal estuary dividing India’s Gujarat and Pakistan’s Sindh, has remained a long-standing dispute due to differing claims over the maritime boundary. Singh accused Pakistan of expanding military infrastructure near the area and said its intentions remain flawed and unclear.

With Pakistan’s new NOTAMs now covering most of its airspace, the move is being seen as a sign of anxiety over India’s large-scale tri-service preparations, an indication that Islamabad has been clearly rattled.